Chapter 28 Raised Social Status (2).
Chapter 28 - Raised Social Status (2)
“Azell performed a great meritorious deed by safely bringing the the princess here. Are you going to ignore what the princess said?”
“How could her words be true? Sir Giles, you don’t know about this, but the princess is excessively lenient towards her underlings. Moreover, if she had faced an enemy that could threaten her, how could a man with an unknown background be able to perform such meritorious deed? Would that make any sense?”
“…….”
“Also, doesn’t he look weak? How could he help the princess with such a frail body?”
Azell’s body didn’t have much muscles yet. Of course, his body was frail compared to a thoroughly trained knight.
Even if that was true, Boar’s every word had the power of being able to provoke a person. Azell suddenly poured too much strength into his fist, and it almost creaked aloud. However, he was barely able to hold himself back.
‘This b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s personality is really in the sewers. Ah, should I really just beat him up? Should I wait until the princess comes, and ask her to knight me then beat him up?’
Currently, Azell controlled the energy he emitted outward, so he evoked an atmosphere of familiarity without any pressure. However, it didn’t matter what kind of impression Azell had possessed, the other had dismissed him at first glance. Azell’s effort was all for naught since his opponent didn’t bother to see what kind of person he was. He(TLN: Boar) was armed with a firm prejudice. (TLN: basically Azell used his skill to project a friendly/neutral att.i.tude, but the other guy is too much of an a.s.s to notice it)
Boar mocked him.
“Well, Sir Giles, you probably don’t know much about the princess since you are in such a remote region. However, you are also going on a long journey back to the royal palace, so you better engrave my words in your heart.”
He was blatantly looking down on Sir Giles. He must have a high enough position in the royal palace to guard the princess, so Giles must have looked like a backwater country b.u.mpkin to him.
Giles glared at him. Boar’s expression looked down on him as if he was daring Giles to say something. The tension between the two was high.
The volatile atmosphere was broken due to Arrieta arriving.
“Everyone has gathered.”
Arrieta and Enora appeared together. Unlike her usual self, she wore a voluminous hat, and it covered the upper portion of her head and her horns. It also covered her pointy ears. She wore a thick travelling cloak to hid her figure.
Giles and Boars retracted the hostility they were aiming at each other, and they paid their respects to her.
Azell queried in confusion.
“What do mean by everyone?”
“I meant what I said. All the party members have a.s.sembled.”
Arrieta answered him. Azell was surprised at those word.
“What? Five people is everyone?”
“Yes.”
“No, how is that…”
Arrieta had asked him to be part of her escort, and Azell had thought there would be additional several dozens of troops that would also follow. Originally, didn’t she come here with about twenty soldiers following her?
“My escort party members, the magicians and the scholars will return at a later date.”
Three from her 30 member party was killed during the ambush by the Dragon’s Shadow. Moreover, there were 11 wounded. Arrieta ignored the objection from all the others, and she decided to take at most only two members. She decided to return to the royal palace in haste.
“Actually, I thought about putting on a disguise, but unfortunately it is impossible.”
“A disguise?”
“My appearance is too eye-catching, so I considered disguising myself with magic. However, after I consulted with the magicians, they did not have any magic that could do that. They said it was impossible for them to cast such magic. It is unfortunate.”
Arrieta was a Dragon Demon, and the Dragon Demon magic resisted outside magic being used on her. Therefore, it was impossible for a middling magician to make changes to her.
Arritea asked a question.
“I tried to dress up so I wouldn’t be too noticeable… How do I look?”
“You look very noticeable.”
“Is that so?”
Arrieta was a little bit depressed when Azell spoke truthfully.
She had insisted on wearing a large fluffy hat, and a cape. In her own way, she tried hard to hide her eye-catching appearance. However, the outfit itself was so ridiculous that it stood out. Even if she hid her horns, ears and the Dragon Demon stone on the back of her hands, her appearance was enough to draw everyone’s eyes to her.
Arrieta let out a sigh.
“Enora was also opposed to it.”
“Well, it’s better than outright revealing oneself.”
“Even if it is a plat.i.tude, I’ll thankfully listen to it.”
“Still, isn’t it dangerous to go with such little manpower?”
Arrieta seriously answered Azell’s question.
“Mmm. If I’m being honest… I think it is more dangerous to have middling number of people.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
The statement could be seen as overly dismissive of the escort’s military prowess. However, he had fought against the Dragon’s Shadow, so he agreed with her. If they had an overwhelming advantage in numbers then he would have no problem with it. However, the 20-30 party members would just make them a bigger target.
Azell queried.
“Is Ms Enora leaving with us?”
“Yes.”
“…is it wise to do so?”
“My thoughts exactly, so I tried to prevent her….”
Arrieta looked at Enora, while sighing. Enora was making a stubborn expression. Arrieta had told Enora in the night that she should stay here, and she should come with the other party……
‘I can never do that! If I did, then I’ll be hit with a bolt of lightning from the head maid! Does princess want to make my body ineligible for marriage?’ (TLN:Enora basically a lady-in-waiting with a decent family background.)
…she had no idea why staying here would affect her marriage prospects. Enora cried and clung to her, so Arrieta had given in.
‘I had no idea this child was so fearless.’
Until now, her other personal maids hadn’t been that courageous. Once she left the palace to go to the battlefield, every personal maid turned pale, and they wanted to quit.
‘It really is as the head maid said. There aren’t anyone else as competent as this child.’
Arietta had been taken aback when the head maid tagged Enora as her personal maid. She was still very young, and it had only been half a year since she had joined the palace maids.
Amongst the palace maids, there were young girls. However, most of them were in charge of doing minor tasks, while they learned the duties of a palace maid. It was normal for a highly trained maid to be a.s.signed to the members of the royal family, who held high stations.
The head maid went against those customs, and she had a.s.signed Enora to Arrieta as a personal maid. She was not only tasked to serve her in the palace, but she was tasked to act as an aid when Arrieta traveled outside.
Her choice was correct. Enora had gone through hardship that couldn’t even be compared to what the previous personal maid had gone through yet she didn’t show any signs of wanting to quit. She wondered how the poet Bairay(TLN:author/poet, but it might be a typo by author) raised his daughter.
Enora queried.
“There is no one here to take care of princess, and I can’t send you off with males only. Also…”
She spoke strongly, while looking at the men.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have any confidence in being able to protect me?”
“Hmm. Does that even need to be said? Relax and follow me. I’ll solve any danger we face.”
For a knight following the rules of chivalry, it isn’t an exaggeration to say a knight without his pride is basically a corpse. Boar had succeeded in entering the royal knights at a young age, so he was of this mold. After Enora’s spoken words had bristled his pride, he immediately pounded his chest, and he boasted.
Azell smiled bitterly.
“What you say has some merit… Mmm. Well, it can’t be helped since everything has been decided.”
No matter how one saw it, Enora was a really tough girl. If she had grown up sheltered then she wouldn’t be this way. Maybe she had experienced many dangerous situation in her childhood.
Arrieta spoke.
“We are traveling as a small group, so we’ll ride the horses instead of the carriage. Enora.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure if you can ride a horse….”
“I know how to.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not proficient at it, but I learned it alongside my brother.”
“That is surprising. Impressive.”
Arrieta was surprised. She hadn’t expected a 12 year old n.o.ble girl, who had come to the palace to work, had learned horsemanship.
“Great. Enora, Azell and I will go pick some horses.”
The three of them immediately went to the fortress’ stable. When they were far from Giles and Boar, Arrieta started to speak.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that unpleasantness.”
“You know about it?”
“My ears are unnecessarily sensitive, so I heard it even from a distance.”
Arrieta laughed bitterly. Then she turned to look at Azell.
“Sir Boar was a knight recommended to me by the head of my escort party, who had traveled with me here. I told them I wanted to travel with small party. However, both the commander of this place and the head of the escort begged me to take at least one of their numbers….”
Arrieta wasn’t in a situation where she could turn down the request. When she said yes, the commander of Western Border guard picked Giles and the head of escort party chose Boar.
Arrieta spoke.
“I don’t know much about Sir Giles, but I’ve heard Sir Boar is quite skilled.”
“If he wasn’t, he would’t have been chosen in a situation where only one person can be sent. He is a Cord Rope master.”
“…how were you able to tell?”
Arietta asked in surprise. Azell smirked.
“He didn’t make much effort to hide it. Well, he’ll be of some help in a battle.”
Azell didn’t like Boar, but he decided to make an a.s.sessment in a detached manner. Azell had read him instantly, and by looking at how he controlled his energy, he knew Boar’s skill was up to a decent level.
Arrieta asked a question, while she put on a playful smile.
“How doe he compare to you?”
“Mmm. Do you want a serious answer?”
“Yes.”
“If I fight him in my current condition, I could cut off his head with three strikes.”
“…….”
Azell spoke in a calm voice, and his brutal words made Arrieta hold her breath. Azell saw Enora flinch besides Arietta, and Azell smiled bitterly at his mistake.
“…my language was a bit too excessive. Any ways, I think Sir Boar is completely overlooking me.”
“I understand. Sir Boar has no idea about you, but he was able to get on your nerves?”
“Will he not try hard to get on my nerves from here on out? This was why I thought of something.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll bear it with my eyes closed. After princess knights me, I’ll challenge him to a duel…”
“You’ll shut your eyes and bear being knighted by me… I can’t believe you said it that way. There are many men who dream about that exact situation happening to them.”
“I’m sorry. However, I’m not in a situation where I want to be tied down, so I don’t want to do this. I’ll have to either be patient with him or….”
“Or?”
“I guess I’ll rely on princess’ authority.”
“That doesn’t sound very manly.”
“He seems to come from a decent family. He is acting this way because he trust his background. What can I do? My origin is not known, so I can only fight back using my background as princess’ bodyguard.”
“You spoke truthfully…”
Arrieta was dumbfounded so she laughed.
“I’ve never heard such pathetic word since I’ve been born.(TLN: she is jokingly saying this) I can’t believe you are this bold and shameless.”
“You don’t like it?”
“I’m ok with it. It’s really mystifying.”
Arrieta shook her head and asked a question.
“So should this be your reward for all you have done for me?”
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to be tied down by me. I’m saying I’ll knight you.”
At those words, Azell stared blankly at her for a moment.
If someone from the royal family with the qualification of being a liege appointed a knight than it was par for the course for the person to require the knight to serve only him or her.
However, there were other irregular ways to structure the oath of loyalty made between a liege and his va.s.sal when the knight is appointed. Instead of receiving a fief, it was possible for the knight to receive his rank without taking the oath of loyalty.
These unconventional appointments didn’t exist before the Dragon Demon war. In the past, the knights rode out into battle on a horse so they were invaluable to the cavalry. This was why all the knights had to swear an oath of fealty, and they became n.o.bles after receiving land.
However, during the Dragon Demon war, the young Emperor Haben of the Nad.i.c.k empire succeeded the old and frail late emperor. He had put forth a radical idea.
He changed how the t.i.tle of ‘knight’ was interpreted.
One need not be a cavalryman. It didn’t matter if one was a magician or even a Dragon Demon. If one had enough ability, then they could receive the t.i.tle of knight, and they would be able to raise their social status. The appointing liege and the appointed knight didn’t even need to agree to a oath of fealty.
It was a time where they needed to find additional talents to fight the Dragon Demon race. It was a plan to stop the talented people from being unable to shine because of their backgrounds. They also had in mind of the magicians, who weren’t of n.o.ble birth, that had left the empire, because of the problem arising from their caste.
This change was quite effective. It especially succeeded in making the magicians, who were wandering around the world, join the battlefield. (TLN: basically you can become a knight if you have the ability. Before you needed a horse + good family background)
‘If only Emperor Haben had lived a bit longer, the empire wouldn’t have fallen.’
Azell reminisced about the past. The admired young emperor Haben was killed by the Dragon Demon King Atein during the time when Azell started to earn his fame.
However, the act that was meant to change the world was still in place. He thought the world was very mysterious.
After a brief thought, Azell asked a question.
“…aren’t you getting the short end of the stick in this deal?”
“Well, it is a power left over(TLN: I think she is implying she can appoint finite number of people-she hasn’t appointed anyone before so she still has the power to do so) since I haven’t used it too much. If anything, don’t you think the price is cheap since you’ve saved my life? This is the time for me to show my vast generosity, and I’m going to invest in you for the future.”
“What if I cut off all my ties from you?”
“Then… Mmm. I’ll be sad.”
Arrieta really tried to make a sad expression. Her speech and att.i.tude was very formal, but her outer appearance was that of a pretty girl. She looked extremely cute.
“Well, well.”
Azell raised both his hands as if he had lost. Was it because she was a young woman, who grew up, being fated to step on to a battlefield? Unlike her outer appearance, she
was formidable.
Eventually, Azell bowed his head.
“I’ll receive it with thanks.”
“I need witnesses for the appointment. Let us head back. I’ll have Sir Giles and Sir Boar partic.i.p.ate in it.”
“That sounds perfectly appropriate.”
While he was nodding his head, he looked at Enora as if he thought of something.
“Ah, Ms Enora.”
“Yes?”
“I’m not a civilian now, but a knight…”
“Is that so? You aren’t one yet.”
“Well, I will be one soon so don’t be so inflexible. So can I call you little miss now?”
Enora furrowed her brows and she asked a question to Arrieta.
“Princess, may I hit this person?”
“In the name of the Dragon Demon Princess, I allow the punishment of the man, who insulted my maid.”
“Then I won’t refuse.”
“Whoa. How scary.”
Azell trembled in an exaggerated manner then he ran away from Enora, who was raising her fist.